A Gentler Kind of Hazing
by Abydosorphan
Summary: Request Three Common ground Three Things You Don't Want: Will, pregnancy, excessive angst
Emily Prentiss straightened up her desk and finished saving the report she was working on before shutting down the computer. Morgan had already made a show of forcibly removing Reid from the bullpen and insisting that the only two people who bothered sticking around this late were Hotch and Gideon.

As much as Emily wanted to be 'one of the team' she wasn't quite ready to be alone with the two senior agents locked behind closed doors while she typed away at her desk. Tonight would be an early night, followed by an early morning tomorrow, so that she could finish the report and have it waiting on Hotch's desk when he got in – assuming he left.

"Going out tonight?"

Jennifer's voice startled her, and Emily cringed at the thought that she might have just jumped in her seat. "Getting ready to head home."

JJ perched herself at the edge of Emily's desk, "Anything fun planned? Or is it just a quiet night at home?"

Emily stood, turned out the desk lamp next to her monitor and slipped her purse over her shoulder. "Looks like it's just going to be a quiet night at home. I have a nice hot date with a bath. How about you?"

"That sounds appealing. Think you might be convinced to put it off for a bit?" JJ smiled.  
Emily felt her eyebrow raise in question.

"Usually, after a case – or sometimes just because - Garcia and I would have either headed out with the guys, or dragged Elle along for a girls-night-out." Laughing lightly, JJ rolled her eyes before adding, "Garcia and I had discussed 'inducting' you tonight, but we've been ditched in lieu of World of Warcraft. I figured I'd see if you wanted to be inducted into our little soirée anyway or if you had other things in mind for the evening besides hanging out in a possibly smoke-filled bar, drinking and enjoying some rather pointless conversation."

Emily felt the grin spread across her face. She had been happy to meet JJ and Garcia. As much as she loved the FBI and enjoyed working with the guys, it was still the 'old boys club' in a lot of ways. Having a few 'sisters in arms' would definitely make things a bit easier, and with her hours and her dedication to her job she'd never really made a group of steady friends in St. Louis or Chicago, so it would be good to have people to just hang with from time to time. "Actually, that sounds fabulous."

* * *

The bar wasn't smoky, something for which Emily was very grateful as she took a deep inhale and tried not to cough on her drink as she laughed. "He didn't."

JJ brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "He did. You would be surprised by some of the stuff Derek's pulled."

Emily sipped at her rum and coke. "I'm beginning to see that."

"No one like him in St. Louis?"

Emily huffed out a laugh. "There weren't people like anyone that I've met at the BAU in St. Louis or Chicago. Not that they weren't good agents. I never would have lasted ten years without some of them. It was just…" she trailed off, unsure of how to phrase her assessment.

"More traditional?"

Emily nodded as she swallowed another sip. "More like a job and a bit less like a family."

"Which can make it rough for a new person trying to find their niche in the fold."

Emily's nod slowed, her finger tracing a path in the condensation on her glass. "Did you just profile me?" She was buzzed enough that it didn't bother her as much as she thought it should.

JJ's hand covered her face for a moment. "I guess I haven't had enough to drink yet. Sometimes it's harder to leave the job at work, to drop the instincts. I didn't…"

Emily's laugh cut her off. "I actually wasn't offended, though I probably should be. I just wanted to make sure I knew where we were standing."

"Especially considering the rule against inter-team profiling."

"There's a rule against it? How _do_ you turn it off?"

JJ nodded and took a sip of her beer. "No inter-team profiling. Though, on some level, it happens daily. Little things you pick up, piece together. Things you don't even realize most of the time. As for how we turn it off – when I figure that one out I'll let you know."

"I don't think you can. It's like breathing." Emily stared into her glass, watching the dark amber liquid swirl around the bottom, wondering if the bartender had known she wanted a stiff drink or if he was trying to get her drunk quickly. Judging from the way he hovered over her and JJ, she was leaning towards an ulterior motive beyond a happy customer. "No wonder we're single."

JJ's laugh shocked her. Emily hadn't been sure she'd spoken loud enough for the other woman to hear. "Garcia and I have come to the same conclusion on multiple occasions. That, and any guy that does get through our 'Spidey Sense', as she puts it, either gets completely intimidated by our jobs or the men that we work with."

"Let me guess, Morgan's done the over protective 'Big Brother' thing a time or two."

"Once or twice. Though, thankfully, never with me." JJ finished her beer and a fresh one was placed in front of her before her glass ever hit the table. "A bit overzealous tonight, aren't you, Zach."

"Not really. Just hoping that once you're properly relaxed you'll introduce me to your new friend." Zach smiled her way as he rinsed off JJ's old glass.

Emily found herself rolling her eyes. Chalk another one up to the bizarre reality that her life fell into.

JJ leaned across the bar a bit. "Zach, this is Emily. Emily Prentiss." Turning with a bit of a flourish that made Emily want to laugh, she continued, "Emily, this is Zach. Zach has this little rule about not getting involved with his good patrons from the Bureau."

Smiling and shaking her head, Emily shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Zach."

After staring for a few minutes, Zach shook his head and turned to walk away. "I'm going to have to reconsider my rules if the FBI continues hiring all the fine women in this city, JJ." Both women laughed as Zach continued to walk away.

"Is it always this interesting when you get together?" Emily asked, wondering just what sort of hodgepodge group she had gotten herself involved with.

"Oh, no," JJ replied, taking a long swallow from her new beer, "this is a calm night. Just wait till the whole family joins us. I thought I'd be gentle, break you in easy. Trust me, it's better than what Morgan did with me."

Emily downed what was left in her glass and signaled Zach for a refill. "Of that I don't doubt. But, do Hotch and Gideon really ever come out with you?"

JJ's eyes took on an evil glimmer, her hand patting Emily on the shoulder. "They usually let the kids go out and play on their own, but they do join us on occasion."

Staring at the refilled glass in front of her, Emily tried to scrub the image of Hotch and Gideon as 'Mom and Dad' out of her brain. She was going to need a lot more alcohol to get her through _that_ story.


End file.
